Air moving apparatus



Nov. 14, 1967 A. J. MORRIS 3,352,484

AIR MOVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 I I 22 I 2532 I 20 30a s l i I r I 33 2/ I'NVENTOR Alberto J. Morris Nov. 14, 1967A. J; MORRIS 3,352,484

7 AIR "MOVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -I'N VENTORAlberto J. Morris Nov. 14, 1967 A. J. MORRIS AIR MOVING APPARATUS 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 8, 1965 lNVENTOR Alberto J. Morris UnitedStates Patent 3,352,484 Am MGVING APPARATUS Alberto Jorge Morris,Dursley, England, assignor to R. A. Lister & Company Limited, Dursley,England, a British company Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,325 14Claims. ((11. 230-416) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE The air movingapparatus as described comprises an axial flow blower driven by aninternal combustion engine. The impeller of the blower is mounted on theengine crankshaft so that the engine and impeller form a unit. This unitis supported within a nacelle by means of struts and stays such that anair flow path past the engine to the impeller is formed, the blades ofwhich terminate close to the nacelle wall. The nacelle wall is supportedoutwardly by brackets positioned in correspondence to the struts andstays and the internal brackets connected thereto. It is contemplatedthat the mounting structure may include additional struts or stays whichextend axially and outwardly from the engine to the nacelle wall tosupport axial loads produced in operation and may further include tiesbetween the cylinder heads and the nacelle to oppose any tendency of theunit to oscillate rotationally. The blower also includes straightenervanes at the air outlet of the nacelle.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to air movingapparatus of the class, hereinafter referred to as the class specified,comprising an axial-flow blower driven by a reciprocating internalcombustion engine. Such apparatus is primarily intended for movingmassive quantities of air and may be used for a variety of purposes,e.g., air drying of drops and other products or things and ventilation.

According to the present invention, in apparatus of the class specified,the impeller of the blower is carried directly on the engine crank shaftor on a part secured thereto so that the engine and the impellertogether form a unit, and this unit is supported coaxially within acylindrical walled nacelle by a mounting structure of struts and stayswhich extend from the engine to the cylindrical wall to provide asubstantial clearance between the engine and the cylindrical wallforming an air flow path past the engine to the impeller, the blades of,which project radially beyond the engine as viewed axially of theimpeller and have their tips close to the nacelle Wall, the mountingstructure where it terminates at the inner surface of the wall beingconnected to bearers for the apparatus, which bearers are disposedagainst the external surface of the nacelle wall, in such manner thatthe wall is relieved of substantial mounting loads.

The apparatus as set forth may be mounted by the bearers on a fixed baseto provide a stationary unit, on a wheeled chassis or the like toprovide a mobile unit, or on, say, timber baulks to facilitatetransportation to a location of use.

In one particular form, the ends of some at least of the struts andstays remote from the engine are pivoted to brackets which fit againstthe internal surface of the nacelle wall and are rigidly secured tocorresponding external brackets, so that the pairs of brackets have thenacelle wall sandwiched between them, the external brackets forming partof the bearer structure and for instance having secured to them bracesextending tangentially of the nacelle wall and carrying bearer lugs.

The mounting structure may for instance comprise four pairs of struts orstays, there being two pairs at each 'ice end of the engine disposedsymmetrically on each side of a vertical central plane. Each pair ispivoted at one end to lugs on the engine and extend substantially atright angles to one another to a corresponding pair of the internalbrackets at the nacelle walls, these brackets being interconnectedthrough the associated external brackets and a corresponding one of thetangential braces. This mounting structure may also include struts orstays which extend axially and outwardly from the engine to the nacellewall to support axial loads produced in operation, and may furtherinclude steadies from the cylinder heads of the engine to the nacelle.

One construction of air moving apparatus incorporating the above andother features of the invention will now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are a diagrammatic plan and end elevation of theapparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation in more detail and partly in section;

FIGURE 4- shows details of the engine mounting and bearer structure forthe apparatus; and

FIGURE 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a unitconsisting of a reciprocating internal combustion engine 10 and animpeller 11 of an axial flow blower whereof the hub 11a is mounteddirectly on a stub extension 10a of the crank shaft of the engine. Theimpeller 11 has radial blades 11!) extending outwardly beyond the engine(as viewed axially of the impeller), there being a small clearancebetween the tips of the blades and the wall of a cylindrical nacelle 12within which the unit is centrally supported by a mounting structure.

The impeller or blower may be constructed as described in British patentapplication No. 40,497/64, the impeller being supported by a bearingdirectly on the stub extension 10a of the crank shaft and being coupledto it through a centrifugal clutch housing in the hub 11a.

The nacelle 12 as shown has a cylindrical wall 12a (FIGURE 3)strengthened by a number of axiallyspaced, external, hollowrectangular-section hoops 1221. Parts of the wall 12a may be cut away togive access to the engine 10 and the apertures thus provided may beclosed by removable covers 13 which may be attached to the hoops 12b.

The air cleaner 15 for the engine is conveniently mounted on the nacelleand connected to the engine inlet manifold by flexible hose 14 and elbow16.

The exhaust silencer 17 is conveniently mounted on the nacelle wall 12abelow the engine 14), there being a flexible connection 18 from theexhaust manifold to the silencer 17 and an exhaust pipe 19 leading fromthe silencer 17 upwards to an outlet projecting outside the nacelle.

The engine/impeller unit mounting structure comprises a number of strutsand stays extending from the crank case 10 of the engine to the nacellewall 12a. The arrangement is symmetrical about the vertical plane containing the impeller axis and comprises, at each corner of the enginecrank case, as viewed in plan, a pair of tubular members 20, 21 FIGURES1 to 5. The members 20 extend substantially horizontally between, andare pivoted to, lugs 22 on the engine crank case and brackets 23 on theinside of the nacelle wall 12a. The members 21 are likewise pivoted tothe lugs 22 and to internal brackets 24. The pivotal connections allinclude, as shown in FIGURE 5, rubber bushes 25.

The mounting structure also includes tubular stays 26 extendingoutwardly and axially from lugs 27 on the engine to brackets 28 on thenacelle wall 1211. These stays transmit axial loads from theengine/impeller unit.

At'least those loads transmitted by the members 25), 21 are preventedfrom unduly stressing'the nacelle 12 by connecting the members toexternal support structure for the whole apparatus. The supportstructure comprises brackets 30a, 30b externally of the nacelle atpositions corresponding to the bracket 23, 24 respectively, eachexternal bracket being secured to its corresponding internal bracket bybolts 31. Thus the brackets sandwich the nacelle wall between them. Thenacelle wall 12a may nevertheless be strengthened at these points bywelded-on plates 36.

The brackets 30a, 30b of an associated pair of the members 29,21 areinterconnected by an angle-section brace 33 which extends substantiallytangential to the nacelle wall. The braces 33 each carry a bearer lug34.

There are thus four such lugs 34 and these enable the apparatus to bebolted to a fixed bed so that the apparatus is stationary, or to awheeled chassis or the like to make itmobiie, or to timber baulks fortransportation to a location of use.

The mounting structure for the engine may also'include ties 38 (FEGURE2) between the cylinder heads and the nacelle to oppose the tendency forthe engine/impeller unit to oscillate rotationally.

The blower also includes straig. tener vanes 4-9 at the air outlet endof the nacelle 12. The vanes 49 are secured at their outer ends to thewall 12a and to a diaphragm 41 at their inner ends.

The diaphragm 41 (FIGURE 3) supports a bearing 52, the inner race ofwhich has a clearance 43 from a prolongation 10b of the stub extensionIlla. Normally the bearing 42 provides no support for theengine/impeller unit, but acts in the event of a failure to prevent theblades 11b from contacting the nacelle wall.

. I claim:

1. Air moving apparatus comprising:

(a) an internal combustion engine,

(b) an impeller carried on the engine crankshaft so that the engine andimpeller together form a unit,

() the impeller having blades which project radially beyond the engineas viewed axially of the impeller,

(d) a cylindrical nacelle wall surrounding the engine and impeller unit,

(e) the tips of the blades being disposed close to the nacelle wall,

(f) the engine being spaced from the nacelle wall on all sides toprovide an air flow path between the engine and the wall,

(g) mounting members extending from the engine to the nacelle wall tosupport the engine and impeller unit within the nacelle wall,

(h) bearing members disposed outside the nacelle wall,

(i) the bearing members being separately formed from the nacelle walland (j) the bearing members engaging the external surface of the nacelleWall at locations where mounting members engage the inner surface of thewall, in such manner that the nacelle wall is relieved of substantialmounting loads.

2. Air moving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least onemounting member has a pivotal connecting each end thereof, each pivotalconnection including a resilient bush.

3. Air moving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each mountingmember embodies an internal bracket carried by said braces.

5. Air moving apparatus according to claim 4 where in said mountingmembers comprise four pairs of struts and stays, there being two pairsat each end of the engine disposed symmerically on each side of avertical central plane, lugs on the engine to each of which lugs a pairof struts and stays is pivotaliy connected at one end, the struts andstays in each pair extending substantially at right angles to oneanother and each being connected to one of said internal brackets.

6. Air moving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mountingmembers comprise struts and stays extending axially and outwardly fromthe engine to the nacelle wall to support axial loads produced inoperation.

7. Air moving apparatus according to' claim 1 wherein said mountingmembers comprise ties from the cylinder heads of the engine to thenacelle wall.

8. Air moving apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a number ofaxially spaced hoops of hollow rectangular section secured externally tothe nacelle wall.

9. Air moving apparatus according to claim 8 comprising apertures insaid nacelle wall and removable covers attached to said hoops over saidapertures.

10. Air moving apparatus according to claim 1 and comprising an engineexhaust silencer disposed Within said air flow pathbetween the bottom ofthe engine and the nacelle wall.

11. Air moving apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said silencer isof elongated character and is provided with streamlined ends, and isdisposed with its major axis in line with the air stream in said airflow path. 7

12. Air moving apparatus according to claim 10 comprising an engineexhaust manifold disposed in said air flow path near the top of thenacelle, and a fixable pipe extending downwardly from the exhaustmanifold to said silencer.

13. Air moving apparatus according to claim 19 comprising an outlet pipeextending upwardly from the silencer and terminating away from the airflow path within the nacelle.

14. Air moving apparatus according to claim 1 and comprising a fixedbase on which the air moving apparatus is mounted by the aforesaidbearing members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,934 3/1943 Gienger 230ll62,858,646 11/1958 Higgins 230l16 3,128,036 4/1964 McBride 230-116 ROBERTM. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

1. AIR MOVING APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE,(B) AN IMPELLER CARRIED ON THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT SO THAT THE ENGINE ANDIMPELLER TOGETHER FORM A UNIT, (C) THE IMPELLER HAVING BLADES WHICHPROJECT RADIALLY BEYOND THE ENGINE AS VIEWED AXIALLY OF THE IMPELLER,(D) A CYLINDRICAL NACELLE WALL SURROUNDING THE ENGINE AND IMPELLER UNIT,(E) THE TIPS OF THE BLADES BEING DISPOSED CLOSE TO THE NACELLE WALL, (F)THE ENGINE BEING SPACED FROM THE NACELLE WALL ON ALL SIDES TO PROVIDE ANAIR FLOW PATH BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE WALL, (G) MOUNTING MEMBERSEXTENDING FROM THE ENGINE TO THE NACELLE WALL TO SUPPORT THE ENGINE ANDIMPELLER UNIT WITHIN THE NACELLE WALL, (H) BEARING MEMBERS DISPOSEDOUTSIDE THE NACELLE WALL, (I) THE BEARING MEMBERS BEING SEPARATELYFORMED FROM THE NACELLE WALL AND (J) THE BEARING MEMBERS ENGAGING THEEXTERNAL SURFACE OF THE NACELLE WALL AT LOCATIONS WHERE MOUNTING MEMBERSENGAGE THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL, IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE NACELLEWALL IS RELIEVED OF SUBSTANTIAL MOUNTING LOADS.